Nashville Best Of 2026 · Best Drive-Thru
Fat Mo’s
A Nashville original since 1991, Fat Mo’s serves hand-formed burgers seasoned with a Persian spice marinade, cooked fresh to order and handed right through the drive-thru window. It’s our pick for the best drive-thru in Nashville.
The Verdict
Why Fat Mo’s Earns the Title
Most drive-thrus win on speed. Fat Mo’s wins on everything else. Every burger is formed by hand from fresh beef and cooked only after you order, with no heat lamps and no microwaves. It may take a few extra minutes, but what comes through the window tastes nothing like typical fast food.
The secret is a marinade built on Persian spices like cumin and turmeric. Each patty is seared on a hot flat-top, dipped in the spiced marinade, then finished on the grill for a flavor you won’t find anywhere else. Add spicy seasoned fries, thick shakes, and a burger big enough to feed a family, and this humble Nashville drive-thru is in a class of its own.
1991
First Fat Mo’s Opens
27 oz
Super Deluxe Burger
18
Spices in the Marinade
0
Heat Lamps or Microwaves
What to Order
The Orders That Made Fat Mo’s Famous
Order at the window, or call ahead and skip the wait. Start with these favorites.
The Super Deluxe
The legend: 27 ounces of beef stacked high with bacon, grilled onions and mushrooms, and Mo’s trademark jalapeños. Bring a friend, or bring an appetite.
The Fat Mo’s Burger
The classic half-pound burger, hand-formed each morning and finished in the Persian spice marinade. Dress it your way and add a side of spicy seasoned fries.
Big Catfish Sandwich
Proof that Fat Mo’s is more than burgers. It’s fried fresh to order, so give it a few extra minutes. Trust us, it’s worth the wait.
The Story
From Tehran to the Drive-Thru Window
Mohammad “Mo” Karimy learned his signature burger technique as a teenager working at an American-style burger spot in Tehran. After leaving Iran in the late 1970s, he met his wife, Shiva, in Istanbul, and the couple eventually earned political asylum in the United States and bought one-way tickets to Nashville.
In 1991 they opened the first Fat Mo’s in Antioch, making burgers the way Mo learned back home: fresh, by hand, and seasoned with Persian spices. The idea caught on, and many of the locations that followed were opened by former employees, turning a single drive-thru into a true Nashville institution.
“We never use lamp heat. No lamp heat, no microwave.”
Shiva Karimy, Co-Founder
Plan Your Visit
Pull Up to the Window
Fat Mo’s locations are independently run, so hours can vary. Here are two Nashville favorites, plus a tip from the founders.
8th Avenue South
Gallatin Pike
2608 Gallatin Pike
Nashville, TN 37216
(615) 226-5012
Mon–Thu: 10 am – 9:40 pm
Fri–Sat: 10 am – 10:40 pm
Sun: 11 am – 8:40 pm
Pro Tip: Call Ahead
Everything is cooked to order, so burgers take about five minutes and the catfish can take up to ten.
Call your order in before you leave and it will be ready when you pull up to the window.
Your Burger Is Worth the Wait
Swing through the drive-thru, or call ahead and pick up the freshest burger in Nashville.